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Subject:SURVEY RESULTS: How many topics are in your Help? From:David Demyan <dbdemyan -at- worldnet -dot- att -dot- net> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>, WINHLP-L <winhlp-l -at- admin -dot- humberc -dot- on -dot- ca> Date:Mon, 01 May 2000 22:11:29 -0400
Colleagues,
My sincere thanks to the individuals who responded to my survey
question, "How many topics are in your help system?" (Complete
survey questions are at end of this email message.)
I received a small sample response, nine in total. The summary
is presented in table form below. For kicks, I did the average
as well. I am floored by the average number of topics for this
small sampling: 5,328. I think this is skewed somewhat by some
herculean efforts that were reported and I don't believe those
huge numbers (20,000 topics) are at all typical, but still the
numbers are impressive. You guys are working way too hard <g>.
Dave Demyan
Total # Type of Software Documented Percent of topics
of topics (small versus large user base) that are popups
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. 20,000 Small user base, Warehousing, no response
inventory control
2. 22 18,000 worldwide users no response
3. 1100 No response no response
4. 611 Small user base, not customized no response
5. 10,000 Custom, Small user base 10 percent popups
6. 1190 Custom and commercial 5 percent popups
7. 8610 Custom and commercial No popups
8. 1918 Small internal user base 38 percent popups
9. 4500 Medium commercial user base 10 percent popups
--------
Average Number of Topics: 5,328
ORIGINAL SURVEY:
Subject: How Many Topics are in your Help System?
Colleagues,
As part of a project I am working on, I would like to ask
how many topics you have in your help system(s). This
information is needed for sizing guidelines for project
estimation where I work as a help author.
a. How many topics total?
b. Is the software commercial (off-the-shelf) for a large
user base or custom for a small user base?
c. What percentage of the topics are full-sized versus
popups, typically used for definitions, glossary items,
and the like?
Please respond to sender. Thank you. I will post results
within a week.
David B. Demyan
on contract at Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
